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Quick Change
Builds observation skills

Call on a child to come to the front of the classroom. Invite the other students to observe carefully everything about the student because, in 60 seconds, you will ask the student to leave the room and change just one thing about him or herself. While the student is gone, he or she might move a watch from one wrist to another, unbutton a button, take off a belt, or… When the student returns, students might write their names and the change they observe on a piece of scrap paper. See how many students are keen observers and can identify the change.

Pose the following question to students to start a lively discussion, or use is as a prompt for a quick journal-writing activity: What if you could solve any one of the world's problems? Which problem would you choose to solve? Why?

Seven-Up Vocabulary
Builds vocabulary skills

Syllable Sorting
Builds vocabulary, spelling, and syllabication skills

ball, base, ing, la, learn, ple, port, re, tri, zy

Answers: baseball, learning, lazy, triple, report.

PixPuzzle
Picture puzzles such as the ones below are a terrific tool for stimulating students to think critically. Write or draw the following puzzles on a board or chart. Challenge students to study the puzzles to see if the words -- and the way they are written -- give them clues to the common expressions the puzzles illustrate.

1. NOON LAZY

2.
ri
POORch

3.
you looking

4.
WOOL
---------
COAT

Answers: 1. Lazy afternoon; 2. take from the rich and give to the poor; 3. looking after you; 4. wool overcoat

Article by Gary Hopkins
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